Corruption
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Power corrupts. Like a plague, weakening the body; like a weed, strangling the good and supplanting it with evil, this is what power can do. The intoxicating realization that with power, you can have ANYTHING. Even happiness and respect. NarutoxHarem!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: AHA! So Kyuubi has an actual name after all! Whodda thunk it? Guess that means that all of the Bijju each have a name of their own, I suppose. Which, leads me to the premise of this fic! Somehow, after learning the Kyuubi's true name, I just couldn't help myself! That being said I shall issue a warning NOW that this fic is dangerously dark in regards to how Naruto, but not so much as the ENTIRE village. Some of the more wicked individuals are, well, naturally wicked! So, grab a snack, kick up your feet, and enjoy this awesomness as we jump right into the good stuff. Oh, and nearly forgot...**

**...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

_"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."_

_~Emerson._

_**Corruption**_

Take heed from an old proverb:

Power corrupts.

Like a plague, weakening the body; like a weed, slowly strangling the good and supplanting it with evil, this is what power does. The sudden, intoxicating realization that one has power_-authority-_over his fellow man, brings the capacity and opportunity to abuse it soon thereafter. He cannot be content to know that his is a privilige above all others. Cannot bring himself to be satisfied with his position, his lot in life. Nay, he desires more. He craves what others have; he lusts after them and their belongings, that which proves that they have worth in this world.

Not all succumb to this notion right away, however. Oftentimes it is a slow, gradual progress, one that wears away at the soul, at one's own moral code as days turn into weeks, and weeks into months and months into years and...well, if you haven't caught my drift by now then you, dear reader, certainly won't enjoy this story. This is a story about one man and the position of power and privilege into which he found himself thrust. His is a story we all know, and one we have heard many a time before. It is a story of loneliness and despair, of scorn and deceit; pursued by vindication and redemption.

Tis a tale of that which can be found but cannot be found. A yarn of pride and predjudice leading to the sullying of a boy's innocence before he'd any chance to learn otherwise or fend for himself. It is a story of corruption, pure and simple.

But sometimes...

...corruption can be all too worthwhile.

* * *

**"Come...**

Uzumaki Naruto.

**...here." **

Fourteen years of age.

**"Come... **

Prankster.

**"...to...**

Troublemaker.

**...me."**

Dead last in the academy.

**"Come."**

Now, _just_ dead.

**"Come to me, boy."**

Or was he?

**"COME!"**

With a cry that could wake the dead, he bolted up upright. He splashed around for a moment, wide-eyed, before he realized that he was not, in fact, dead. Not yet, at least. It was difficult to move, however. He could barely bring himself to breathe, let alone stand. Maintaining his blurred vision alone threatened to exhaust him utterly. Why? Why did he feel so exhausted? Why was he still in so much pain? Why-

_Oh._

The memories descended upon him like an avalanche. He'd stolen the Scroll of Sealing. Memorized _three_ jutsu from within, and fourth upon whom the details were sketchy, to say the least. That being said, he'd had just enough time to learn one of them, the Kage Bunshin before he'd heard the faintest rustling of leaves. He remembered looking up, up, _up _into the branches above, half expecting to find Iruka-sensei there, waiting to scold him.

It hadn't been Iruka.

The academy student could still feel warm slashes of pain across his arms and throat; but when he tried to touch his hands to these supposed wounds, they were nowhere to be found. Neither for that matter, was the clearing in which he'd first unsealed the Scroll of Sealing and suffered his unfortunate demise. All he could see, for miles and miles around, a dimly light and damp corridor, stretching on ahead of him and into the blackness.

_**"Come." **_

That voice again.

He knew it was damp, if only because he could feel the water, cold between his toes as he advanced. Without thought, without pause, without pretense, he did just that, using the wall to guide himself in the otherwise nonexistent lighting. His limbs, his arms and his legs, protested with each and every step. And yet he pressed on, fumbling his way through the darkness. Once, he became afraid. He grew fearful of the voice that called to him and sought to turn back, to try and to find some other way out.

**"Not that way." **

But behind him, lay a wall of solid stone. That simplified things. Wherever he was, wherever he had gone, he could not go back. He could only move forward. The thought was oddly comforting, in a sick, surreal sense of the word. Left with no other choice, he continued his descent into darkness. Fumbling, stumbling his way through the corridors, he soon found that it was not as straight and narrow as he'd initially surmised. At times it grew wide. At others it banked and sloped sharply, forcing Naruto to wade through a veritable maze of pipes and assorted obstacles just to reach the path beyond.

Finally after what felt like hours of pointless twists and turns and ups and downs, he could go no further.

The corridor widened abruptly, opening into a large antechamber several feet across and many miles wide. The water was shallow here, barely reaching his ankle and allowing for a more steady progress as he trudged toward what looked like a gigantic door, similair to what one might find in a prison. The reddish glow appeared to emanate from just beyond those gleaming bars of wrought iron and metal, beckoning him to come closer alongside the voice.

"W-Who's there?" Naruto finally found the courage to speak, and as he did so, he felt his voice crack. He hadn't the slightest clue as to where he was or what was happening to him. All he knew was that he remembered dying, a

**"Don't be afraid."** Now the voice resonated from just beyond those bars, a subtle, soft tremor that shook him to his core. **"Come closer."** It was soft, sweet, and seductive and it banished all of his fears in an instant. "**I'm not going to hurt you."** Yes, of course. Why would it hurt him? He had absolutely nothing to fear. The voice meant him no harm at all. Nothing could possibly be wrong...

**"Not yet, that is."**

Then he saw them.

Gleaming in the dark, wreathed in crimson light. Basking in a sickening aura, one that reeked of spite and malevolence. Large and slitted and fixated upon him. _Eyes._ The very sight of them sent a chill down his spine; because as he looked on, in terror and fear and fright, those eyes began to shrink. Towering above him one instant, and in the next, they were nearly level with his own. Additionally, the massive silhouette behind the bars had all but vanished; though its prescence remained thick and stifling.

Too late, Naruto realized the true terror of what he was staring at.

This was not a door.

_It was a cage._

And it housed a creature as ancient and malevolent as time itself.

**"I haven't the time to explain."** A woman's voice filtered through the wall of iron that separated them. **"Prepare yourself, boy." **A arm shot out even as he lurched back, grabbing a fistful of his jacket and hauling him forward and toward the bars. The world swam before him as his forehead kissed unyielding iron; as not _one_ not _two_ not _three_ but nine tails of warm, orange fur slithered out between the bars and wrapped themselves round the length of his aching body, cradling him as one would a child.

He tried to speak, to tried to find the words to express his terror, but nothing came. He was tired. So very, very tired. He couldn't keep his eyes open. All he managed was a weak, broken-sounding:

"Why...

**"I can't let you die now, can I?" **The voice whispered as the tails brought him within the bars. "**After all, if _you _die, _I _die. We can't have that now, can we?" **And still, even as he entered the darknesses domain, the tails refused to relinquish their holdupon him. Quite the contrary. He was dimly aware of being held, as the voice continued to whisper sweet nothings unto him as their grip grew tighter.

**"Now, come here."** The unseen voice beckoned, shattering the last of his resistance with these words. **"Come to me, give yourself unto me, and together we'll make that man suffer."** It was all he could do to think now, let alone form a coherent sentence.

"The one...that tricked me...?"

**"Yes, that one."** The woman_-he was certain it was a woman now_-crooned softly. **"He's been VERY naughty, that one. He needs to be punished."**

"Y-Yeah...

They held him and drew him close, banishing the cold that plagued every inch of his frame. Their grip was firm and yet at the same time gentle. The same hand that had once seized him now released him, allowing his head to dip forward. Something warm and soft captured his lips in that same instant, for the briefest of instants, utterly eradicating the pain consuming him. A pair of supple arms encircled him as he began to drift and drew his slumbering face away and into a warm bosom.

And for a moment, all was well.

**"Foolish, foolish little kit." **The woman murmurred softly as she stroked at his hair.** "You had no idea, didn't you? No idea at all...Now look what you've gone and gotten yourself into...**

* * *

Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

Mizuki felt it in the very core of his being.

Dumbfounded, he could only look on in horror. Horror, as the boy whom he had slain began to move. A curtain of crimson bubbled up from his stomach, tearing his hideously bright jacket down the middle and exposing his midsection. _Exposing the seal._ Dread dawned upon Mizuki as he looked on; because the red energies oozing out of it began a ghastly transformation, even as they hoisted the chakra covered body free from mother earth.

"What!"

His throat, gashed by a kunai, slithered shut. His wrists, slit in an attempt to make it look like suicide, closed. His heart, momentarily stilled from blood loss, began to beat at a frantic pace. With each distinctive ba-dump Naruto's body was hoisted higher and higher, until the tainted energies forced his body to stand upright. His head jerked forwrd and his mouth hung loosely agape as the feralization took its toll on its visage; sapphire snapping into slitted scarlet, claws growing where there had once been fingernails, as teeth sharpened into fangs and whiskers lengthened into deep furrows upon his face.

All the while the red chakra wrapped around the boy, forming a protective..._armor,_ of sorts. If he had to describe this grisly incarnation, he would have been hard pressed too call it such. It rather resembled a cloak, clinging to the boy's body like a second skin. A skin in the shape of a fox, bearing a single tail of ruby red light that slowly wormed its way into two

And then the boy started screaming.

_**"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

The initial shockwave flung Mizuki from his feet and into the branches.

Unable to secure a proper handhold, he opened himself to his chakra-and staggered back as if he had been punched in the stomach. Normally, the chakra flowed through him like his very own blood, strengthening him, centering him, as it did most shinobi. This time, however, it struck him like a frozen fist in the gut. Another claw of sinister scarlet whistled by his ear, taking with it a sizeable portion of his hitiate and gouging out a massive chunk of bark from a nearby oak.

Bones shattered as he turned round, just in time for a chakra enhanced punch to connect solidly with his jaw. The rest of his body flopped bonelessly away from the blow, the momentum forcing him onto his back before he could reclaim his footing.

_'What the hell is going on here?'_

Dropping to his knees, Mizuki snatched a small sphere from one of his many pouches and hurled it down upon the ground, the act of which caused the device to detonate and spray a thick white smoke across the clearing. With this momentary cover provided, the chunin crawled behind the nearest thicket he could find, bewildered and confused. As a shinobi, he had trained his entire life to harness his chakra and use it at will. Now the very source of his power had seemingly betrayed him. He could hear the ghastly howl of that _thing_ as it peppered the clearing with fistfuls of chakra, likely in an attempt to flush him from his cover, but he had absolutely no intention of complying.

Instead, shut out the sounds of battle. He didn't understand what had happened to him-what that damn demon fox had done to him-he only knew he had to find some way to fight it. Panting, the chunin silently reminded himself that Naruto-no, the Kyuubi-had to be destroyed. That was why he'd lied about the Scroll of Sealing in the first place. His penultimate goal had been to "apprehend" the demon-brat in stealing the scroll and then "accidentally" slay him.

It should have been easy. Damn that Iruka! He'd gone and complicated things! Now the entire village was out searching for Naruto, and while they'd yet to discover either of them, he had little doubt that, were he discovered now, he'd be slain in equal measure with the demon spawn. Just the thought of it, of all his plans coming to naught, set his blood to boiling...

_'I'll kill him.' _Mizuki forced the fingers of his right hand into a fist,_ 'I swear, I'll kill that damned brat! I'll cut off his his arms and tear off his legs and spit on his corpse! Then the scroll will be mine and I'll never have to see this damnable village again! Yes, that's right. Mine. It'll be all mine...mine...mine...mine! MINE!'_

This silent mantra allowed him to bring his breathing under control. A few seconds later, he felt composed enough to reach out carefully and try to draw his chakra forth once more. Instead of peace and serenity he felt only anger and hatred. A blackness so foul that it threatened to overwhelm him. Instinctively, his mind recoiled, and Mizuki realized what had happened. Somehow the power he was drawing on had been tainted. Corrupted and poisoned by the very prescence of the Kyuubi's host; of this insatiable creature that continued to pursue him.

He still couldn't explain it, but now he at least knew how to try to resist the effects. Blocking out his fear, the chunin forced his chakra to flow through him in the faintest, guarded trickle. As he did so, he focused his mind on cleansing it of the impurities that had overwhelmed his senses. Slowly, he felt the power of his own internal chakra washing over him...though it was far less than he was used to.

Stepping out from behind the foliage, reaching for the giant shuriken strapped to his back, he called out in a loud voice, "Show yourself!"

A bolt of scarlet ripped from the darkness toward him. At the last second he deflected it with his shuriken, sending if off harmlessly into the night-a technique he had mastered years ago when he was still a rank-and-file genin.

_Too close,_ he thought to himself as he felt the afterglow of the offending energy creeping across the flesh of his palm. _That was too close. I need to calm down. I need to focus before-_

**_Twang!_**

He _felt,_ rather than saw the second volley. It scorched across his forehead and nearly ripped his hitiate clear off his face as he snapped his body backward; contorting himself in a desperate attempt to evade the sudden swarm of crushing claws threatening to obliterate him. He did not succeed.

The gentle blue glow of chakra enveloped his hands, but something about it still felt wrong. It's strength flickered and ebbed, like a static-filled transmission. Someone-or even something-was disrupting his focus. A dark veil had fallen across his consciousness, interfering with his ability to draw upon his chakra. For a shinobi there was nothing more terrifying, but even so, Mizuki had no intention of retreating from this emboldened beast.

"You damned fox!" He called out, his voice betraying none of the uncertainty he felt. "Show yourself and face me!" Ripping the ruined remnants of his headband away from his face, he detected the faintest glimmer of crimson in the darkness, just south of his position. It winked out, leaving him hanging there in the darkness. Suspended by a single, solitary branch, he peered into the gloom, and found nothing, nothing but that inky blackness, obscurring his vision. Deprived of his target, wounded, and without aid, he felt it, the first glimmer of despair. Fear began to creep through his heart. Like the first frost stretching its icy fingers across the leaves, so too did terror become apparent in his once stoic visage.

"Coward!" He bellowed! "Come out and fight like a man!"

**"How befitting of a Konoha shinobi."** A strange voice replied. **"That you would tremble so once your prey has eluded you."**

"W-What?"

**"I can smell your fear." **It clarified.

"I'm not afraid!"

**"Aren't you?"**

"I'M NOT!"

**"In that case, I shall show you true fear! YOU SHALL FEAR THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE!"**

The hellish visage of a kitsune burst into existence before him, its jaws wide and gaping to consume his flesh. Mizuki shrieked and threw his arms up before his face in a vain attempt to ward off the ghastly apparition before it could devour him. And then it was gone, vanishing like so much smoke as it washed over the trembling chunin. Mizuki did an about face, but the branch above only creaked in silent protest to the sudden abscence of its guest.

"Where the hell did you go!" he snarled. "Damn fox!"

**"Awww, is the big bad shinobi helpless without his chakra?"**

"I AM NOT!"

**"You're trembling!"** The voice cackled. **"How precious!"**

"Shut up!"

**"Hahahahaha!"**

Then the laughter began.

A soft, menacing chuckle, low and sultry, like that of a woman's. It came from the sky. It came from the earth. It came from the leaves. It came from the birds. It came from all around and yet, it was nowhere to be found. It was as if the forest itself were mocking him for his ineptitude; for his failure to kill a helpless boy whose only ace was to use a provocative nose-bleed inducing henge.

"Stop."

The laughter continued.

"S-Stop it!" Mizuki gibbered, hurtling shuriken into the trees when the cackling again became apparent behind him. "Stop laughing! STOP!" He pressed his hands to his ears, a gesture that only left him open and exposed. Claws raked across his exposed back, biting through the vest, deep into flesh and marrow and bone. This sudden offensive, swift though it was, coupled with the terror of facing a saddisticly enraged bijuu proved to be too much.

He turned to flee.

And it was in that instant that the hand closed around his throat.

Too late, he realized his mistake.

With his last thought he tried to call upon his chakra to aid him in his frantic escape, but he was unable to pierce the debilitating fog that clouded his mind. He felt nothing but fear, anger, and hatred. All of these emotions and more, boiling out of the boy he'd slain only moments before, brought back to life by this twisted, demonic energy. His eyes, they bulged as the first of many claws clamped down upon the tree, ripping it from its roots and heaving it_-with him still in it-_into the air for all the searching shinobi to see.

_'What have I done?'_

This was Mizuki's last thought before the coils of red chakra sliced through the bough upon which he'd taken shelter. He didn't have time to blink, to think, or even to scream as he plummeted toward the ground below. Towards his demise. As the claws of feral ferocity rushed up to greet him, he didn't have time to land. He didn't have time to try and defend himself, or to beg for mercy. He did, however, have _just_ enough time for a faint sounding:

_"Oh."_

As the explosion ended his life, as he was torn limb from limb, Mizuki finally understood the true horror of the Kyuubi.

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! Fear the Kyuubi! She and Naruto aren't taking any shit from anyone! Probably the reason why this is going to be a harem fic, no? Oh, and one more thing...**

**Vote and Pm for pairings or elese... YOU SHALL FACE KYUUBI! SHE WILL FUCK YOUR ASS UP!**


	2. Vindication

**A/N: AHA! So Kyuubi has an actual name after all! Whodda thunk it? Guess that means that all of the Bijju each have a name of their own, I suppose. Which, leads me to the premise of this fic! Somehow, after learning the Kyuubi's true name, I just couldn't help myself! That being said I shall issue a warning NOW that this fic is dangerously dark in regards to how Naruto, but not so much as the ENTIRE village. Some of the more wicked individuals are, well, naturally wicked! So, grab a snack, kick up your feet, and enjoy this awesomness as we jump right into the good stuff. Oh, and nearly forgot...**

**...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

_"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."_

_~Emerson._

_**Vindication**_

When Naruto finally came to, his world was white.

He lay there in this blinding brilliance for a moment and wondered what had happened. He remembered being embraced by a strange woman. He remembered feeling of deep and incomparpable peace. A serenity that welled up inside of him and grew stronger, with each passing instant in her arms. He remembered closing his eyes, succumbing too this feeling of belonging, and then...nothing.

Blearily, he forced sleep-gummed eyes to open...

Only to find himself staring. At her.

The figure was that of a young woman several years older then Naruto, kneeling before him in a bow of submission just behind the cage. She had long red hair with streaks of gold highlighting it, her long locks tapered back into nine ornate braids, each caressing her lower-back. Two bangs framed a face beyond perfection, a slight mixture between oval and heart-shaped. Her face bore an almost regal beauty about it, with higher then average cheekbones that still managed to retain a 'soft' look and a small button nose with cupid bow lips rich in the deepest crimson color. Naruto felt it would be very easy to mistake her as some kind of hime (Princess) or at the very least a rich noble.

Her skin was a pale porcelain color, giving her a delicate and smooth as silk look. She wore a red kimono with two slits running down the sides, and a V neck-cut in front, showing a little of her C bordering on D-cup chest. She had an hourglass figure that civilian girls could only dream of, and even the most active kunoichi would kill for. She was very beautiful. However, the most notable features on the woman were not the nine fox tails laying limply behind her, but the eyes.

Naruto saw the woman's eyes were a deep and intoxicating color of red with black slits running down the middle. He also took note of the deep amusement that was currently written all over her face.

**"Good morning, little one."** She purred, and he recognized her_-her voice!-_almost immediately.** "Did you sleep well?"**

The question caught Naruto flat-footed.

He'd slept quite well, actually. Better than he had in years. There had been no frightening lapse in his slumber this time, a lapse that always came with the inescapable fear of being attacked while he slept. This time, there had been no such fear. He'd slept softly and soundly, and now he'd woken to find himself in the arms of the very woman who'd spoken to him the night before. Blearily, he blinked away the last remnants of his dreams and sat up. She allowed him, waiting patiently as the would-be-genin struggled with the memories that threatened to overwhelm him, body and soul.

**"Do you remember me?"** She asked, pressing the question. Naruto nodded mutely. Though he didn't like being reminded of his short stature, he did not refuse the name. It was annoying, but he'd bear with it until he had some answers.

"I remember you...

The woman smiled benignly and lowered her head to lick his cheek, much like a mother fox would unto her kit. Naruto darkened at the affectionate gesture but made no move to scramble away from the redheaded woman. This was the first time someone had paid attention to him_-and licked him!-_without trying to ram a kunai down his throat. Never had he been held. Never had he been loved. Ignored, reviled, and despised, yes, but never loved.

Desperately, he wanted to preserve this moment.

"W-Who're you?"

**"My name is Kurama."** The woman began softly,** "Do you know who I am, little one?" **Orbs of slitted scarlet bored into stunned sapphire and held him there, transfixed. He couldn't bring himself to speak. Those tails. Those eyes. That insatiable demonic aura, barely held back by the bars. Even _he_ could put two and two together when it came to this. This was the creature that Mizuki had spoken of, taunting him in what should have been his last moments in life. The beast trapped within him.

"Y-You're the nine tailed fox."

**"Smart lad."** She commended him for his courage with a pat on the head. **"And you, dear boy, are my jinchuuriki. Now, I have much to tell you, and precious little time in which to do it. Do you understand? When you awake, you may notice some *ahem* changes..."**

Naruto was numbed.

"W-W-Wait a second!" He cried! "What's a Jinchuuriki?"

**"Jinchuuriki are humans that have tailed beasts, such as I, sealed within them." **Kurama explained.** "They exhibit extraordinary powers, and in some cases are more powerful than their tailed beasts, because they have the intelligence to use the beasts' powers effectively."** She sighed sadly upon finishing. **"This is exactly what you are, Naruto. You are a jinchuuriki; because thanks to the Yondaime, I am sealed inside of you."**

"W-W-Wait a second!" Naruto's mind was reeling. A jinchuuriki? He couldn't be a jinchuuriki! There was just no way! How could he have such a beautiful creature sealed inside of him and be called a jinchuuriki? Was that why everyone despised him so? Because of this? This gentle woman sealed in his stomach?

"Help you? You destroyed the village! Why would anyone want to help you!"

The woman's disdain was total.

**"I did no such thing!"** She snarled, baring her fangs from beyond the bars. **"It was that accursed Uchiha Madara who freed me and sent me upon that rampage! If anyone is to be blamed than it is he! Had I had control of myself that night when he tore me from Kushina, this never would have happened!" **Naruto quailed at this sudden outburst before him; this vengeful godess that raged from within her cage. Perhaps she wasn't so gentle after all.

"But still...you nearly destroyed the village?" Naruto pointed out, feeling the need to state the painfully obvious. "Right?"

A grimace of self-chastigation.

**...I suppose you have a point."**

Suddenly, a thought occured to Naruto.

"Ano...Kurama-san?"

**"What?" **Kurama asked.

"Who's Kushina?"

**"Kushina...was my jinchuuriki before you."** Kurama pulled Naruto a little closer. **"I'm sorry, kit. It's my fault that she's dead."**

"Why are you apologizing?" Naruto squinted up at the fox. "You didn't _mean_ to kill your jinchuuriki...did you?"

Abruptly the woman's eyes hardened.

**"You really don't remember anything, do you, kit?" **said Kurama, her voice low but her face flushed. **"Though I'm not surprised. Damn that fool of a Sandaime!" **In the silence, a low snarl of frustration echoed between them. Abruptly, Kurama's nine tails, once loose and limp, snapped to attention. Naruto didn't even have time to blink, as they found his forehead, alighting ever so softly upon his skin.

Naruto froze as her hands drew him within the bars.

"W-What're you...doing?"

**"Let me show you, kit."** Kurama whispered, her voice thick with loss and hatred. **"Let me show you what Konoha has done to you and I. Let me show you what you have forgotten; let me show you what you never knew." **The darkness beyond the cage gaped like an open, infected wound. It beckoned to him just as it had before but now there was an element of terror to be had within that void; because suddenly there was an excruciating pain within his skull as memories began to surface. One stood out amidst the rest. One, would be forever branded into the back of his mind for all eternity.

_A masked man holding an infant._

**"Don't hate me, kit."** He could feel Kurama's soft, velvet voice tugging at his ear in the dark. **"I'm showing you this for your own good."**

Naruto had just enough time to scream before the blackness smothered him.

* * *

_(Meanwhile, in the Sandaime's office)_

It was ridiculous.

Ludicrous.

Inconceivable!

For only the second time in the history of Konohagakure, an academy student had been granted the rank of genin for the death of another. _Mizuki._ By the time the Anbu found him, the chunin was a tattered mess of flesh and bone, barely recognizeable, if not for his hitiate and white hair. Putting his plans to betray the Leaf aside, it didn't change the fact that Naruto had killed someone. The villagers were out for blood. The Kyuubi-brat had finally gone feral, they said. In their minds, the Kyuubi container had to be put down before he turned on the rest of them.

Only the most recent edict of the Sandaime Hokage stood between them. Those who attempted to harm the Kyuubi container in any way, shape, or form, regardless of rank or status or privilege, would be put to the sword. Surprisingly, he'd received full backing from the council. Thanks to Danzo. The man still thought that Naruto could be used as an overwhelming weapon, a mindless tool for the sake of Konoha. And for once, his short-sightedness had proved to be a boon, rather than a bane.

This way, no one would harm Naruto. For the moment.

For the moment, the boy was safe in his hospital bed under the watchful eyes of a handpicked squad of Anbu. He was safe. For now. But his safety was not guaranteed by any means. To keep Naruto safe, to protect the Fourth's Legacy, action was required. Drastic action. An action that would forever reshape the boy's future; though whether for the better or worse remained to be seen.

Picking up his quill and parchment, Sarutobi Hiruzen set to writing what would prove to be a long and lengthy letter.

It was time to call _him_ back.

* * *

_(Some hours later/Konohagakure Hospital)_

Naruto awoke in a haze of pain. His eyes felt like they were on fire; every blink was like shards of glass through his retina. His chest ached so much that it took an act of will just to inhale. The air he inhaled was redolent of medicinal smells. He almost choked on the cloying odors, but just imagining how much coughing would hurt made his throat relax.

Whatever obscure scene he had found himself in, it had passed. He closed his eyes and let out a small sob of relief, but refused to lower his guard all the same. The darkness had still yet to lift from his vision; because his eyes remained painfully scrunched shut. Whether a refusal on his part or simply his body coping with the trauma, he simply could not bring himself to see a thing.

The memories she'd forced upon him had been mind-numbing. Excruciating. Terrifying. They were the memories of a fox, seen from the eyes of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, as her host went into childbirth. The Yondaime, struggling to suppress and maintain the seal. The masked man, who'd ruined everything. Everything. _Everything!_ Just the thought of that man, of what he had done, of what his actions continued to do, ushered a foul wave of hatred into Naruto's soul.

He'd had a mother. A father. And they'd both been ripped away from thanks to the selfish ambitions of an Uchiha. But that didn't make any sense. Sasuke was supposed to be the last Uchiha, wasn't he? So did that mean that the masked man had already perished? Naruto prayed that he was not. He wanted to find him to find him and kill him; wring the life from his lungs and watch the last bit of life fade from those sick, twisted eyes. Only then would he be satisfied. And if the man was already dead, then he'd find some other way to spite him, such was his rage.

Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto wanted revenge.

An unspecified amount of time later left his throat dry and his body reeling. Slowly, he came around, the sights and sounds of the world as he knew it proving too much for his slumber once more. He cracked open sleep-gummed eyes to see, to finally _see_ a hand resting lightly on the blanket over his sternum. Attached to the hand was a wrist, to the wrist, an arm and, as his gaze traced the length of said appendage, he found himself staring into the most wonderful pair of pale, lavender eyes.

_Lavender._

The thought sparked something in him; the faintest of tingling sensation. Who was it that had eyes like that, again? And why did he feel so strange? Why was it, that he felt a lack of his usual hyper-active energy? Why, for that matter, was his shirt sho blasted tight?

**"!"**

His eyes burst open and he saw.

He saw the changes that Kurama had spoken of, that had been wrought upon his body.

His shirt was several times too small for him now and showing some signs of lean muscle with the fat burned off from the growing to show his potential. His whisker marks were thicker, hair was long while looking wild, and blue eyes wide with horror and dismay.

**"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!"**

* * *

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! Fear the Kyuubi! She and Naruto aren't taking any shit from anyone! Probably the reason why this is going to be a harem fic, no? Well, now we get to see more of Naruto's Kyuubi-influenced persona emerge, and, we get to meet the legendary Ero-Sennin, soon! Oh, and one more thing...**

**Vote and Pm for pairings please or else... YOU SHALL FACE KYUUBI! SHE WILL FUCK YOUR ASS UP!**

**R&R! =D**


	3. Resolution

**A/N: AHA! So Kyuubi has an actual name after all! Whodda thunk it? Guess that means that all of the Bijju each have a name of their own, I suppose. Which, leads me to the premise of this fic! Somehow, after learning the Kyuubi's true name, I just couldn't help myself! That being said I shall issue a warning NOW that this fic is dangerously dark in regards to how Naruto, but not so much as the ENTIRE village. Some of the more wicked individuals are, well, naturally wicked! So, grab a snack, kick up your feet, and enjoy this awesomness as we jump right into the good stuff. Oh, and nearly forgot...**

**...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

_"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."_

_~Emerson._

_**Resolution**_

It was easy to see why others believed Sarutobi always looked on the edge of fury. In truth, he looked like a man struggling to concentrate through epileptic agony. Orochimaru held no love for his former sensei, but it was hard not to admire his unbreakable endurance. For him to remain calm hours after the entire populace of Konoha discovered the loosening of the Yondaime's seal, truly spoke of the man his master had once been; the great God of Shinobi, once feared by all nations.

But in this day and age, even gods could be killed.

And by the end of the year one would, if all went according to plan. Putting the matter from his mind, the former sanin took another glimpse into the depths of the crystal ball, frowning at what he found there. So Jiraiya would be returning to the village after all. No matter. While _he_ was indeed far removed from Konohagakure, his methods were not. He had eyes and ears within its walls, and so, he had already seen. The boy had already taken his first step on the path to power. He just needed a guide. A mentor, perhaps. Someone to put things into perspective. To show him that this village was not worthy, that it did not _deseve_ a shnobi of his calibre. The fools! In their ignorance they shunned the very thing that could prove to be their salvation once they were invaded!

Clearing his mind, Orochimaru returned to his crystal ball and the matter at hand. Unlike his mentor's, this object could only focus on limited quantities of chakra. Exceptional chakra. In this case, the chakra of young Uzumaki Naruto.

The scene changed, showing a livid Uzumaki Naruto as he sprang from his hospital bed and let loose a silent scream of disbelief. The poor boy looked like he'd just seen a ghost; which in all likelihood, he had. He'd been unconcsious for nearly a week after releasing the Kyuubi's chakra; decimating Mizuki and solidfying fear and fury in the hearts of the villagers. It clung to the villagers like a wet blanket now influcing their every act. Perhaps even those of their children. That the boy was alive at all was a miracle in and of itself; another testament to the keen intellect of Orochimaru's former sensei.

"Oh? It seems the Kyuubi has inficted some interesting changes to his body." the sanin mused. "How amusing."

He was going to be a strong one, given the time and training. Assuming their owner wasn't "silenced" before his true potential manifested, the boy's chakra reserves could one day grow to rival his own. And there was only the beggining. Once he awoke "that" he'd truly be invincible. Given the time, skill, and necessary training he'd be able to master both "that" and his Tailed Beast unlike any other.

For a moment, Orochimaru toyed with the idea of simplying capturing the boy. It would be a simple matter, though he might have to sacrifice Kabuto to accomplish it. At length, he decided against it. Best to have him keep an eye on the boy. For now. And when the time was right, when the child of Kushina and Minata came to see just how decadent his village had become, then and only then, would he strike.

Perhaps he'd have Kabuto mentor the boy in the meantime. This was as good a chance as any to cultivate a new ally. After all, the boy was that much more likely to side with those who nurtured him, rather than those who so vehemently opposed him. _Yes,_ he decided, that is a fine plan. Take the boy under his wing, train him, teach him all sorts of wonderful ninjutsu; and then, when the time was ripe, pluck him from the village like an overripe fruit.

Jiraiya's prescence _would_ complicate things, but Orochimaru was certain of his subourdinate's ability to succeed. No one knew Kabuto was a spy for Otogakure. And by the time they did, it would already be too late.

He'd have Kabuto keep an eye on the boy, just in case.

"Kukuku...you never cease to amaze me, Naruto-kun."

* * *

_(Meanwhile, in the hospital...)_

"Naruto, calm down!"

"How the hell can I calm down, Iruka-sensei," the boy shrieked loudly, "When I look like _this!"_

Naruto felt as if he'd been stabbed. If the arrival of Kurama's memories had disturbed him, witnessing the changes done to his body shook him to the bone. While his blue eyes and blond hair remained unchanged, the rest of his body had been irrevocably altered. Lacking the slight physique he'd had ever since he was young, the boy struggled to rise from his bed and comprehend what had been done to him.

He felt anger, aggression, frustration over..._something_, and a hunger rumbling deep in his body. Naruto felt his usual bundle of energy, which had been compressed, struggling to find release in his small body had somehow _expanded_ outward with his new body, and no longer felt...suffocated by his once small stature. He honestly felt backed up before now with his energy trying to be expelled, which was one of the reasons for not sitting still in class, and playing constant pranks throughout Konoha.

Now...

His once malnourished frame was no longer so. He could feel power, raw, unfiltered power, flowing through his veins. It was intoxicating. Even for a fourteen-year-old. If any of his former tormentor's thought they could bully him now, they were in for a rude awakening. If they tried to harm him again, he'd kill them. All of them. Oddly enough, the thought didn't make him feel sick at all. So what if he held this grudge over their heads? They deserved it! After all they'd done to him_...they definitely deserved it! _They kept his lineage a secret, lied about his parents, treated him like some sort of demon spawn, and they honestly expected him not to fight back? Well, that was going to change. He wasn't the weak little pushover everyone made him out to be. Not anymore. He was the Yondaime's son! He had a _spine_ damnit! And _anyone_ who dared to lay on hand on him henceforth would learn their mistake through pain and suffering.

**"We'll make them pay."** He winced as a familair voice resounded throughout his skull.** "Each and every one of them, kit."** Kurama? He recognized her voice, but he could not see her. Where was she? All he _did_ see was Iruka-sensei and a strangely-colored youth standing beside him. Speaking of which...

"You're looking well, Naruto-kun." The older boy said.

_"Huh?"_

Naruto found himself staring at a pale-eyed boy with spectacles, silver hair, and a Leaf hitiate. His mismatched garb of purprle and white left much to desired, but he certainly was fashionable, to say the least. Given that he himself wore orange Naruto_-in his mind-_instantly befriended the boy for his own bold color scheme. Sure it wasn't as adamant as orange, but still, purple was a cool color in his book.

"Who're you?" Naruto asked.

Sensing that the danger had passed, Iruka began to explain.

"Naruto, this is Kabuto Yakushi." Iruka offered, placing a hand on the young shinobi's shoulder. "He's the one who found you and brought you to the hospital." Naruto hiked an eyebrow and immediately elevated his opinion of this fellow. Anyone else-except Iruka-wouldn't have lost one wink of sleep over him. That Kabuto had retrieved him, and took him to the hospital bespoke something of his sempai's nature. Surely Kabuto-san wasn't a bad guy, right?

"Kabuto-san was the one who found you and tended to your wound." Iruka explained, offering his student a glass of water. "He's a medical nin." Naruto grabbed the glass and proceeded to down it with gusto. He turned to look at Iruka curiously as the words sank in. "If he hadn't found you, you'd be dead."

_"Seriously?"_

Iruka gestured toward Kabuto, the latter noding politely.

"Well...um...thanks, Kabuto-san." Naruto answered lamely. He wasn't used to being saved. Chased, beaten and abused, yes, but never rescued. Maybe this Kabuto guy wasn't so bad after all. Silently, he touched a hand to his throat, now clean and whole. No longer bloody and ruptured, he could feel the faintest of scars beneath his smooth skin. He winced at the reminder of that night, and off his attacker. _Mizuki._ The mere mention of the Chunin's name sent a sudden surge of bile coursing down the blonde's throat. _That no-good-bastard traitor! _Naruto felt his gorge rise at the thought of the man who'd nearly murdered him,_ He deserved to die! I'm glad he's dead!_

"The graduation ceremony is today, Naruto."

"And?"

"And you're going to be late." Iruka answered, unfurling his hitiate. "Here." He handed it to the boy; leaving Naruto to take it with numbed fingers. The metal cloth was warm to the touch and Naruto marveled at it. The realization crashed down around him like all the lies he'd been told. Iruka-sensei was giving him his hitiate. His hitiate! Why would he do such a thing? Why give him his own forehead protector? Dumbfounded by the realization, the news didn't truly sink in for Naruto. It was only when Iruka tied the hitiate around his head that Namikaze Naruto truly understood.

He bolted out of bed, his eyes narrowing into furious slits of sapphire and scarlet.

"I passed?" He squeaked out. _"I actually passed?"_

Iruka was torn.

He couldn't bear to tell Naruto what he'd done. Unaware of the subtle nuance of politics though he was, even he knew what had happened. _Mizuki was dead._ Dead at Naruto's hands and those of the fox. Half the village knew of it now, and it was only the Hokage's law that kept them from slaughtering him outright. Several had made the attempt as of last week, when the boy was still in a coma. The unlucky individuals were currently burning in hell. Iruka held no hatred for the boy, but he knew that Naruto actions would define the road ahead of him now. A long, hard road, filled with hardships and those who wished to see him fall. A road of discrimination of persecution, glossed over by a thin layer of peace and naievete. And there was precious little he could do for him.

So instead of telling his student, Iruka forced a smile and told the boy the bittersweet truth:

"You passed."

* * *

_(Several minutes later, at the Academy)_

_"You passed?"_

Shikamaru gawped several minutes later, dumbfounded by the boy before him. This was Naruto? The same drop out who'd failed the genin exam yesterday? Not only had he been before him, but he hardly recognized the kid. He wore his hideous orange jumspuit still, but that was where the old Naruto ended. He'd opted to leave it open, exposing the black tee beneath, both of which seemed to be a bit more snug on him than they had before.

_'And what the hell happened to you, Naruto?' _Shikamaru wondered, both at this and the news his father had told him last night. _'Did you really kill a chunin? Is that why you look like this? Does it have something to do with the seal?' _Contrary to popular belief, the Nara clan knew what was sealed within Naruto's stomach. They knew of the Fourth and his sacrifice and unlike most, they didn't begrudge his son one bit. They bore the boy no ill will towards it. But if Naruto knew that his _friend knew_ of this secret, than he did precious little to show it.

Perhaps that was why Naruto had changed.

Most of the baby fat was gone from his face; having been burned away under the strenuous effects of his tenant's chakra. Likewise were the effects of malnutrition. For what might have been the first time since they'd met, Nartuo actually looked healthy. There was a warm enthusiasm in his face as he smiled, and not a trace of bitterness in it. His eyes gleamed brightly, as if he held a secret that no one else knew. As much as he'd truly changed, however, Naruto was still Naruto underneath it all.

"Sure did!" Naruto grinned, folding his hands behind his head. "I took a makeup exam." He made no mention of Mizuki's slaughter. Oh, he wanted to; he wanted to brag that he'd slaughtered that prick, but he restrained himself. He didn't want Shikamaru to hate him, too. Despite his initial misgivings, he actually got along with the Nara. Kiba and Chouji, too. There was no need to them what he was. Not that he wanted to, anyway. This was all too much to take in. The knowledge that he'd had parents notwithstanding, there was the matter of his sudden growth spurt_-he was going to need new clothes-_and the knowledge that said parents had sealed a demon inside his stomach.

The thought nearly brought tears to his eyes. His parents! He'd actually had parents! A father! And a mother! He hadn't been abandoned at all; because they'd truly loved him! If not for the masked man, they might have lived a happy life together. Just the three of them. A life in which he was the Yondaime's son; a life without beatings and scorn and ridicule. A life where no one _dared_ touch him! He would have been regarded as nobility. Hell, they'd respect him then; in very much the same way everyone had to throw themselves on their hands and knees and bend over ass-backwards just to fawn over Sasuke. But most importantly...

_...his parents would still be alive._

"Yo! Naruto! Earth to Naruto! Anybody home?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, alerted by Shikamaru's hand, waving before his face. "Oh, sorry. Did you say something?"

The Nara facepalmed.

"What the hell's wrong with you today?" he asked. "You've been spacing out for like, five minutes now."

"I have?"

_"That's what I just told you!"_

Naruto struggled to laugh it off and only partially succeeded. He wanted to tell Shikamaru the truth, but he doubted his friend would listen let alone believe him. He'd probably dismiss the whole thing as too _troublesome_ for his liking, anyway. Naruto didn't mind. He knew, and that was all that mattered. No matter what anyone said to him; whatever garbage they spouted at him, he would know the truth. It was a painful truth, but it was his truth nonetheless. He was somebody now. And no one could take that away from him.

Not even Sasuke.

On a good day, Naruto really didn't mind the Uchiha. He was quiet, he kept to himself, and he rarely if ever insulted him. On a good day, Naruto considered him a rival. Uchiha or not, Sasuke was someone to test his strength against, on a good day. Today was not a good day. It had started out as a good day but the second that Sakura and Ino burst into the classroom, everything went straight to shit.

Shikamaru took one look between the two and the life leached from his face.

"This is going to be troublesome...

Scarce had Naruto raised his gaze to take in his lifelong crush than she spotted him. Correction. She spotted Sasuke in the seat _next_ to him. Naruto sighed. He knew all about her little routine. She was so focused on the Uchiha that she rushed right over_-ignoring his vaint attempt at a greeting-_and attempted to bodily shove Naruto from his seat. If she had done such a thing yesterday, than she would have succeeded. Today she vied with Yamanaka Ino for _his_ seat once again. Normally, Naruto would have been perfectly content to surrender it and sit someplace else. But today...today was not a good day. He wasn't in the mood to be pushed around. Not now. Not ever. Certainly not by a little girl_-where had that come from?-_who spent more time on her _makeup_ than she did actual training.

"Sasuke-kun!"

A muscle jumped in Naruto's jaw. Had her voice always sounded like that? Had it _always _been so _annoying?_ It felt like just yesterday he'd been hopelessly in love with Haruno Sakura. Following after her like a little lost puppy, blissfully ignorant of the subtle nuances surrounding him. Now that attachment was just...gone. And in its place was a pit of seething envy. As if any feelings he'd ever had for her had been carved out of his chest and replaced by hatred.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Did they know this? Did they know the animosity he bore his peers for lying to him? For deceving him? For making him think he was a powerless orphan with no family or any lineage to call his own? Doubtless, they didn't. Kurama had told him everything; that the secret was only known to the council and the upper echelons of Konoha. Including a certain old man named Danzou and, of course, the Sandaime Hokage. The liar! Why hadn't he been told earlier? Why hadn't someone told him who he was? Why hadn't they told him what he contained? _Why?_ The questions burned like a brand in the back of his mind, demanding answerment. He thought about asking Iruka, demanding an answer from his longtime sensei. He decided against it. Iruka probably didn't know anything, and even if he did, Naruto trusted the man with his life after last night's incident. Iruka was the only one's who actually seemed to _care_ about his wellbeing. Oh, and Kabuto-san. Silently, Naruto resolved to further thank the genin when he got the chance.

"Ohayo, Sakura-

"Move it, idiot!" Sakura demannded, her shrill voice cutting through his reverie like a harpy's screech. Naruto raised a hand to fend off the noise, his irritation piquing as the Haruno continued her daily tirade of verbal_-albeit unintentional-_abuse on her part. So annoying! He didn't even feel it when she batted his hand aside, and tried to hip-drop him out of the way. Naruto didn't budge from his seat.

"I said move!" Sakura repeated, unaware of her own plight. "Are you even listening to me, Naruto!"

_'Oh, I'm listening alright..._

Naruto felt his throat burn anew but forced his burning resentment down. It wouldn't do for him to randomly explode in front of the class. _Calm down._ He told himself. _There's no need to get yourself worked up over something like this. She's just a stupid bitch._ He bit back the retort, alarmed at the venom behind it. _Whoa._ Where did that come from all of a sudden? Why was he so aggressive? Was it because of Kurama? Did they know that? Nah. He seriously doubted that _anyone_ knew what he knew now.

"If you'd like...I'll move." Naruto had to force the words out between clenched teeth. Kami, this was difficult! It took all his effort to suppress the initial irritation her prescence aroused in him. Was this Kurama's way of vexing him? If it continued like this...he was so screwed.

"I've been _telling_ you to move for the last three minutes, baka!" Sakura said. "Jeez, what's wrong with you today! Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" Naruto felt the sorrow wash over him anew, but this time he weathered it; because rage rapidly replaced it. _Oh, I'm so sorry Sakura! My parents are dead! Unlike you, I didn't have a life like that, where I actually got to know them before they died, damnit! Damnit! _His fist clenched beneath the desk and fury flashed in his eyes.

_**DAMNITALL!**_

They hardly even noticed him! It was always Sasuke-kun this, Sasuke-kun that, Sasuke, Sasuke SASUKE! He was sick and tired of Sasuke! Sick of seeing his crush and nearly every other girl in his class continue to fawn over the last Uchiha, who _clearly_ had little to no interest in women. Wait a second. Did that make him gay? Or was he so prideful that he considered them beneath him? And _still_ they preened and cooed over him like a flock of pigeons! Today, just like every other damn day! Well, not anymore. Today his anger peaked. Today, Naruto reacted.

_Violently._

Before Sakura could wrest Naruto from his seat, before he knew what was happening_-before he could control himself-_his fist buried itself in the Haruno's stomach. She gave a small cry of pain and dropped like a sack of potatoes. Naruto gawped, unable to believe what he'd done. He'd just taken a swing at a classmate! He'd just punched out Sakura-chan! He'd laid her out flat across the floor! This was awful! Horrible! Terrible! So why_...why didn't he care? _Amused perhaps, maybe even relieved, but concerned? Not in the slightest.

"S-Sakura?" Ino exclaimed aghast, looking at the groaning body on the ground in shock, "What are you doing down there?" Before anyone could cry out, Naruto leapt atop his desk, body crouched and coiled like a spring; ready to launch. When he spoke, his voice was quite his own. It had a rough, gravelly edge to it. Almost as if another spoke with him, their voices overlapping into one.

"She's taking a nap, Ino-san." Naruto growled, glaring bloody red daggers from where he sat, silently daring the blond_-or any other fangirl for that matter-_to attack him head on. "Would any of you care to join her?" When all he earned were a series of disbelieving stares, he felt a dark surge of satisfaction within him. A sick yet sweet sense of black euphoria that threatened to choke off all other emotions. He was sick of this. Sick. of. it. Sick and tired of everyone treating him like a third-rate piece of shit. A broken hand-me-down that nobody wanted to associate themselves with. When no one dared to speak out against him, Naruto brought the brunt of his wrath to bear upon Uchiha Sasuke, the latter having remained eerily silent, though his eyes were slightly enlarged in light of Naruto's sudden outburst.

They were all. so. stupid. Clueless. He couldn't help but wonder; why had he bothered to put up with this crap in the first place? Was it because he know knew that he was the Yondaime's son? Naruto didn't think so. It wasn't just that he was the son of the fourth hokage; because it was more than that. His ire stemmed from the fact that it had been kept a secret from him. For the last fourteen years of his life, he'd endured both physical and verbal abuse, been tormented, ripped-off and otherwise put down, all because he was the vessel of the Kyuubi. He liked to think that, had they seen him as the Fourth's son, they would have at least treated him with respect. Hopefully. Maybe.

The silence was deafening.

"Not bad." The Uchiha said, discarding his brooding expression in favor of a slight smile. One that Naruto gladly returned. Pompous ass! If he wanted a staring contest then he was going to get one! Naruto held no fear for him, or his clan's much vaunted Sharingan. From what he understood, Kurama absolutely _loathed_ the legendary dojutsu; thanks in part to what the attrocious acts masked man had made her commit via the infamous copy wheel. And if she didn't like him, then Naruto sympathized. He already saw a spry opponent in him, but that by no means made Sasuke his equal. If one Uchiha could make Kurama go berserk, imagine an entire clan! He shuddered at the thought, by default, glaring intensely at Uchiha clan who would one day awaken the hated bloodline.

"Naruto, stop glaring at him!" Ino protested loudly. "You're making Sasuke-kun angry!" Naruto would have rolled his eyes, but that would mean blinking and blinking meant a loss to Sasuke. He wasn't going to lose to Sasuke. He would win their little staring contest and then...then...

...Kiba accidentally elbowed him from behind.

"Oops, sorry man!"

Naruto staggered forward, his eyes growing large and wide. He pinwheeled for a moment, his arms spiraling as he struggled to regain his balance. To say that he failed would be moot in point. There was nothing for him to do but fall forward. Onto Sasuke. No. Naruto had time for one thought, and this was it:

_Oh hell no!_

**"THE HELL YOU DON'T!"** For the _second_ time that day, Kurama's voice resounded within Naruto's skull.** "I'll be damned if you lay your lips on an Uchiha!"**Unbidden, a trickle of chakra wormed its way through his coils, imparting a bit of knowledge into his mind. Unbidden, he felt his hands moving of their own accord, blurring through the seals at a pace so rapid he barely even recognized it. At the very last instant, a glimmer of red chakra burst into existence between him and the Uchiha.

Unthinking, the blond used the first jutsu that came to mind. _Substitution._ Unfortunately, he didn't have a log or any other inanimate object to replace himself with. Naturally this left him with a dilemna. One easily answered. With a sudden _poof,_ Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. In his place, Yamanka Ino popped into existence; and he hers, leaving the flailing Yamanaka to flop onto Sasuke eyes widening as they collided.

_"Abunai!"_ Naruto gasped, clutching a hand to his chest as he swapped places with his fellow blond. "Too close! That was way too close! I almost kissed that damned emo of an Uchiha!" No sooner had he said this than a host of angry eyes bored into his back. Thankfully before the mob of fangirls could mow him down, they seemed to realize that he had not been the one to endager their precious Sasuke-kun. As one they turned toward Ino, eyes glinting dangerously. Yamanaka Ino, laying atop Uchiha Sasuke, eyes large and round. Her lips locked firmly around his own. Around his, the lips of _their_ precious Sasuke-kun. Kissing him. _Kissing Sasuke-kun!_ Inconceivable! Incomprehensible! This affront could not be forgiven!

Both Naruto and Shikamaru facepalmed as the fangirls swarmed the Yamanaka.

_"Troublesome..._

Several minutes-and one bruised Yamanaka later-Iruka arrived. Almost immediately, he congratulated his students on completing the Genin Exam. Naruto couldn't hel but feel a bit of pride at that. Granted, he hadn't passed by any means convential but still, here he was! It was when Iruka announced that each team would composed of a three man cell that his spirits sank. So he was going to have two teammates then. Somewhere above him, Naruto heard a soft "troublesome" of exasperation. He sympathized. Of all the luck, he had a one in three chances of getting someone good on his team. Of course, he was just as likely to be paired up with someone he hated.

"And now," Iruka coughed into his fist, "I will introduce Team Seven." He began to read from the clipboard:

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The blond sighed and began to pray. He really wasn't feeling all that energetic now after his last outburst. _Please, Kami...don't pair me with Sasuke, please don't pair me with Sasuke, please don't pair me with Sasuke..._

"Hyuuga Hinata."

A small squeak resounded from the seat above and to his right. Naruto stole a swift glance backwards, tracing the sound from whence it came. Hyuuga Hinata. A girl with eyes of pale lavender, dark hair, wrapped up in a thick jacket. Her _hitiate_ dangled round her neck, before which she tented her fingers nervously, unable to meet his gaze. He didn't know what to make of her. Strange, maybe, but at least she didn't fawn over Sasuke like all the other girls in his class. Now as long as Sasuke didn't end up on his team...

_"...and Uchiha Sasuke."_

Naruto's spirits sank like a stone.

_**"WHAT?"**_

* * *

_(Meanwhile in the Hokage's office)_

Sarutobi Hiruzen was having a bad day.

Not only did he have to contend with the _**EVIL** _that is paperwork, but he was currently tasked with explaining away the monumental surge of chakra that blew away a quarter of Konoha's Forest last night. It was bad enough that the villagers knew the cause, but now Kumo and Iwa were begining to ask questions. Unpleasant questions. Already, the damiyo was demanding an explanation, one he couldn't readily give. And to make matters worse, Sarutobi had been forced to make concessions to the council. By the end of the week, if not sooner, Naruto's heritage would be revealed. And why had the council allowed this?

Simply put, they wanted to revive the Namikaze clan. And what better way to do it than with a child born of both Namikaze and Uzumaki blood? Initially, they'd wanted to use Naruto as a veritable breeding machine. Hours of lobbying on Sarutobi's part had saved Naruto from that fate, if only partially. Political marriages had been arranged, annuled, and arranged again. Despite all that Sarutobi had done to prevent it, word was going to get out. Sooner, rather than later, Naruto's life was going to become very complicated, and he'd have to tell the boy the truth before then. Which was why he'd sent for Jiraiya. What better way than to convince the boy than to bring his godfather into the picture to corroborate his story? Though he did fear that his student might corrupt the boy...

"Lord Hokage, Jiraiya-dono has arrived." Sounded a voice from beyond the door. "Shall I send him in?"

_At last!_

"Send him in."

The door swung open with a mighty crash.

"It seems you caused quite a ruckus in Tanzaku Town, Jiraiya." Sarutobi said as the door opened. He turned a lazy eye upon his former apprentice and scowled. Word had reached Konoha of the exploits of a certain peeping tom, of a certain sage renowned for his perversion and his fascination with women. That being said, the man had made remarkable time in reaching the village after his summons.

After a nod from the Hokage, the door opened all the way and a tall, broad-shouldered man strode into the room. He wore dull green robes over a mesh shirt that she could see glimpses of at the neck and wrists. On top of everything else he wore an oversized red vest with a yellow circle over each breast. Archaic wooden geta clacked on the floor, but his stride exhibited the steadiness that spoke of long experience wearing them.

The white hair suggested age, but his face was for the most part unlined. One might estimate him to be in his fifties – a most dangerous age for shinobi. Without the energy of youth, some shinobi were content to slow down at that age, to take things easier. This shinobi was not one of them. He adopted a faint grin as he entered much to the charign of his former sensei. Honestly, his apprentice could be so shameless at times!

"I take it you received my message, then." Sarutobi heaved a heavy sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind him. "Jiraiya." The Toad Sage inclined his head in a bow of acknowledgement. The grandiose show of respect didn't last long, however.

"So you heard about that little fiasco, huh?" Jiraiya couldn't stop smiling. "Alright, who spilled the beans?"

It was Saruboti's turn to show a weak smile.

_"The damiyo's wife."_

Jiraiya stiffened.

"A-Ah," Jiraiya gulped and continued to stare up at the stars in an attempt to escape further questioning while he sought an answer. "Women are but fickle creatures. Who am I to possibly have any hope of understanding them or their motivations?"

"Be that as it may, I did not call you here for idle chatter." The once proud God of Shinobi frowned as he sat down, "Look." His attention shifted toward his crystal ball, and the scene held on its glassy surface. Namely the blond throwing a temper tantrum and shouting at the top of his lungs. For a moment there was silence. Then Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and looked away.

"And I'm looking at what, exactly?"

Sarutobi pointed at Naruto.

"Surely you see the resemblance?" Jiraiya peered into the glass and felt his eyes bulge as they scanned the classroom. This kid...that temperment...it couldn't be! He couldn't possibly be...he was! Jiraiya guffawed as he watched the boy deck one of his classmates, a pinkette who must've been a Haruno. This kid...this _gaki_ looked like a mini Minato with whiskers! And he acted exactly like Kushina! Incredible! Just like his mother!

"Is that who I think it is?"

Sarutobi nodded.

"It is."

"Aaaaaaand let me guess," Jiraiya sighed, the color leaching from his features. "You didn't call me back to get a sneak peek of my latest novel, did you? That was a lie, wasn't it?" The Sandaime steepled his fingers. Silence reigned supreme. Jiraiya stole another glance at the crystal ball. He put two and two together. He'd been summoned back after the kid _'coincidentally'_ happened to go berserk and loosen the seal placed upon him at birth? And then said child _'coincidentally'_ happens to be the child of Minato and Kushina, both of whom had _'coincidentally'_ named him the godfather of said child? Not to mention that every clan in every village in Five Great Nations would want to make babies with him once his lineage was revealed to the world? Well, the kid certainly would have one helluva sex life when he got older. Assuming he lived that long. Given the list of deadly enemies he was about to require, any number of which would be glad to have the son of Minato's head on a pike...

"You want me to whip him into shape, don't you?" Jiraiya was already begining to sweat at the prospect. "Alright, how long do I have? A year?" Nothing. "A month?" Silence. "What, is it a week, or something?" You could hear a pin drop. "Now wait just a minute! You're kidding right? You can't possibly expect him to learn _that_ in a week, do you?"

Sarutobi's only response was to smile.

_"Damn you, Sarutobi-sensei!"_

* * *

**_A/N: First things first! I am not bashing Sakura! Naruto is simply irritable at the moment, given what he's gone through in one night. That, and our poor boy just doesn't know his own strength yet. Second! That's right! Kyuubi is VERY protective of her kit! Of course she wouldn't let Naruto kiss Sasuke! I never did like the fact that Naruto's first kiss was stolen by that no good emo bastard. I mean, Sasuke? Seriously? No way in hell! Naruto's first kiss ought to be from Kurama or Hinata or Ino or ANYONE other than that prick of an Uchiha! Which is why we now have a poll! Who should Naruto's first kiss be with, and why? Be sure and vote and Pm and tell me your reasons, in additon to what you think as well as any ideas! Third! I deliberately changed the dynamic of Team Seven. This was INTENTIONAL on my part. Naruto can't very well work together with teammates that he hates now, can he? That, and let's face it. Sakura is as Shikamaru would say, troublesome. HOWEVER! This does not guarantee Hinata's place in the harem by any means! She is an 'if' and a big IF at that! As I have said in previous chapters, leave me your votes via el review! =D_**

**_ Love you all and thank you for your continued support of this and all my other stories! Be sure and tell me what you think! _****_Thanks for stopping by!_**

**_~Nz_**

**_P.S:_**

**_R&R! =D_**


	4. Tribulation

**A/N: Let the slew of updates continue! Also, I had a nasty surprise last night. Turns out theres black mold in my room. BLACK MOLD. Do you have any idea how much that sucks?! Very much so, so much so that I nearly forgot to supply ya'll with another of my weekly updates. I flipped a coin this time to decide which story I'd update. Heads, I'd update corrupt. Tails, I'd update trason. Guess which one I got? Anywho, I'm stuck outside for the time being, and I'm off to work in about two hours so I'm going to try and knock this chapter out as soon as possible. **

**That being said, prepare for some major surprises in this chapter! We'll see some fluff, a bit of action, suspense, surprise; there's basically a little bit of everything in this chapter short though it may be! So kick back, relax and read this, the next chapter of Corruption! WARNING: LANGUAGE AT THE END!**

**Enjoy!**

_"I'm alone...aren't I? Complete...utterly...alone."_

_~Namikaze Naruto_

**Tribulation**

"Just what do you think you're doing, idiot?"

Naruto felt his hackles rise at the insult. He hated that! He'd hadn't done Sakura any favors by letting Ino kiss Sasuke, and clearly the Haruno had yet to learn her lesson. Eye twitching, he returned to the task at hand, careful to maintain his focus. The slightest slip could be fatal. Not for him, of course. But that was another matter.

"Are you even listening to me?"

_'Oooh yeah I'm listening alright, forehead..._

She wasn't even his teammate and she was _still_ pissing him off. Disgusting! He hoped their sensei would come soon. Then he wouldn't have to listen to her prattle on and on _and on_ about how _awful_ it was that she wouldn't be on Sasuke's team. He was half-tempted to let her have the damn spot,_ just so she'd shut the hell up_ but it wasn't his decision to make. He was stuck with the broody bastard, whether he liked it or not. And, as evidenced by Kurama, she didn't like it one bit.

**"An Uchiha."** She sulked, arms crossed, petulant beyond the bars of the cage. **"Why oh why did it have to be an Uchiha?! What have I done to deserve this?! Do you truly hate me, kami?!"**

Naruto felt the hackles on the back of his neck rise. And yet he smiled. Two days had passed since he'd last spoken to Kurama and yet it was as if she were suddenly speaking to him for the very first time. He could not see her, and yet her words rang like a clear, clarion bell. Without thinking he scanned the classroom, and as before, found nothing. At last, he relaxed. She was speaking to him again. Inside his head. Strangely enough he felt nothing but peace at her words. They didn't invoke a surge of bitter resentment as the had before. Not at all. That his tenant had taken the care to speak to him on a daily basis was a heartening notion.

_'You know I'm still not used to that,' _he admonished her.

**"Then I suggest you get used to it." **She glowered at him from within her prison. **"Becase I can hardly stand the stench of that pompous fool sitting across from you!"**

_'Hey, at least you don't have to have to deal with the shrieking banshee out here.' _Naruto reminded her. He knew just how much she hated Uchiha clan, having been mentally raped by one who claimed to be none other than Uchiha Madara some years before. He sympathized. If Sasuke ever tried to do that to him, he'd certainly be angry enough to kill. As it were, the mere noton of being in the room with another Uchiha left him with a boiling fury in the pit of his stomach. Prejudistic bastard. Take away those eyes and what was he? Nothing. Just like Sakura, and she didn't even have a bloodline, as an excuse. Always fussing with her makeup and hair always preening herself, always wanting to look good in the eyes of precious Sasuke-kun...

**"Patience, kit."** Kurama soothed back at him, her own anger momentarily forgotten as the eyes of her host began to flicker. **"We'll be rid of her soon enough."**

_'I certainly hope so..._

**"And the Uchiha, too...**

_"Nani?"_

**"Nothing, nothing."** He could practically picture her secretve smile. **"Mayhaps you should return your attention to the harpie? She's shrieking at you again."**

_'Do I have to?'_

**"Unfortunately, yes."**

Naruto was about to argue the point when a thought ocurred to him. Sighing, he let the bars and his beloved fade from his mind, replaced by a bitterly bright reality.

-what you're thinking!" the haruno was glaring jade daggers at him. Naruto smiled.

"You're right, Sakura_-san."_ A wicked gleam glinted in his eye. _"That_ would be rude of me." He fished a hand into his weapons pouch and came up with a kunai. _"This_ however, would be justified." Taking his seat, Naruto ignored the shrieking protests of his fellow genin and focused his attention on the door. He took a seat beside Hinata, patiently praying that the Hyuuga wouldn't distract him as well. His prayers were not answered. She glanced at him, at the knife in his hand, the knife he was patiently _blunting_ by carving into the desk.

"A-Are you alright, Naruto-kun?"

He hazarded a glance at the Hyuuga.

"Hmm?" Oddly enough, her voice didn't annoy him anywhere near as much as Sakura's. "I'm just peachy. Why?"

"Well, you have a kunai in your hand...

"Just keeping myself busy." He lied through his teeth. There was actually a purpose for blunting the kunai, but he wasn't about to reveal it to anyone. Not yet. He could feel Hinata's eyes lingering on him as he returned to the task, those pale orbs brimming with questions and inquiries. Oddly enough, she didn't give them voice, nor did she seem to shy away, as the others had. She wasn't repulsed by his new behavior. He barely knew her and she him, and yet, she wasn't eyeing that knife in his hands with fear and trepidation, as the others were. It was almost...admirablle. her!

**"Hmm...this one would be excellent breeding stock."**

Naruto nearly dropped his carving knife.

_'W-W-W-What the hell was that for?!' _his sputter was worse than Hinata's. _'I almost cut myself!'_

**"Just making an observation." **she chuckled blackly.

'And I'm just trying to keep my hand intact!'

"Naruto, what are you-

_'Oh, for the love of all the ramen in the world!'_

"Urusei, washboard!" The blond all but spat, but made no move to strike the pinkette. Instead, he jammed the kunai into their sheathes, only to inexplicably draw another. He flipped it upright, tossing the blade, to the skies in a wide, vertical arc. Sakura followed it with her gaze watching it sail end over end before hurtling down to earth once more. She couldn't help but to wince as Naruto extended his hand, palm upright toward the plummeting weapon.

He caught the knife, tip to finger.

Flipped it again.

Caught.

Flipped.

Caught.

He repeated this several times, refusing to meet her gaze, his eyes fixated upon the silvery steel as he rhythymically repeated the motion. Finally when the door creaked half an inch open, Naruto reacted. The kunai did what it was meant to and sank like a stone, falling into the fingers of his fist. He cocked his arm back, readying the lethal missile for launch. Sakura saw it, and tried to say something, but it was already too late. Naruto grinned as he felt all the eyes in the room fixate upon him. Just as he'd intended.

_'__Let's see if this Jonin is really all that.'_

The door opened, and Naruto hurled the _blunted_ kunai with devastating effect. He was dissapointed. He half-expected the Jonin to dodge, or at the very least, intercept the incoming projectile with one of his own. He was _sorely_ dissapointed. Instead of trying to block, deflect, or otherwise evade the kunai, the Jonin suffered a direct hit. The blunted weapon ricocheted off the man's _hitiate_ cracking the metal and jarring the shinobi's head backwards. A thin trickle of blood licked across the man's solitary eye, marring his masked face as he poked his head through the door.

At first, Naruto's couldn't believe his luck.

_'What a weakling!'_

"Na-Naruto-kun!" Hinata, exclaimed aghast, looking at the her teammate in shock and horror, "What were you doing!"

"It's his punishment for being late." he said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Such a pity. I thought he'd apprecciate something like that...not send a clone!" His smile turned into a scowl as the jonin's body imploded, his corpse replaced with a long. The kunai clattered across the floor and landed at the blonde's feet, pusued by a swirl of leaves.

"Hmmm... how do I put this?" The silve-haired jonin frowned. "My first impression of this group...at least one of you is an idiot."

Naruto scowled.

"And how are _we_ the idiots? We waited for you as we were told to. It's _your_ fault for being late, sensei."

The man remained silent a moment longer, his single eye narrowed in the blonde's direction. Naruto met the glare of his potential sensei with one of his own, refusing to be cowed by the small amount of killer intent he felt from the jonin. The very definiton of terror was sealed inside his stomach. Compared to that, the jonin's ill intent was a pleasant breeze.

"Alright, let's meet on the-

Whatever else he might've said died away as Kurama chose that moment to pipe up again.

** "I know this man!"**

'_Who?'_

**"Him!"**

Thoughts that were not his own ricocheted inside of his skull before he could tame them. Crashing down around his ears in a jumble of sights and sounds, over which he could barely discern her voice. And then the rage was gone, replaced a cool, smoldering fury. Gingerly, Naruto peeked inside the seal. What he found there froze his blood in his veins.

**"Bastard."** Kurama hissed through clenched teeth, her very form trembling with rage. **"That soulless bastard! I'll kill him! I'll rip his throat out!" **It abruptly occurred to the gening that he'd never seen her angry before, never truly witnessed the full extent of her fury. He stood upon a precipiece of change. Whatever knowledge she was about to impart would change his life. Forever shape his outlook toward his sensei. For good or ill, Minato's son willed himself to listen.

'Who is he?'

**"This man is the son of the White Fang."** Kurama admonished him. **"He was your father's student, Naruto. He was supposed to be there for you. To take care of you. To raise you, when your parents gave their lives to seal me inside your stomach. They made him promise, swear on their graves. The very next day, he brought you to the orphanage."** Naruto nearly fell out his chair. This jonin hadn't been seen in Kurama's memories, and yet he still trusted her words implicity. The fox had yet to lie to him_ in anything_, a matter he took great solace in. But this man...this man! The one person who might've given him a somewhat normal life, his father's student, had been the first to abandon him.

_This guy...its his fault that everyone treated me like shit. _Naruto realized._ If he'd just cared I might've...no. To him, I was always the 'demon brat' just like everyone else thinks._

Rage filled him again, crimson clouds blurring and warping his vision until the room seemed at the bottom of a storm red sea. He couldn't stand to be in the same room as this man, let alone breathe the same air as he any longer than he had to. He stood woodenly, pushing past Hinata and Sasuke, glowering when the Uchiha's elbow struck at his side.

"Watch it, dobe."

Naruto didn't bother to react. Rather, he couldn't. So fixated was he upon Hatake Kakashi, so enraged was he with him, the first person to ever betray him, that the Uchiha seemed no more than single speck of sand in the storm in the red whirpool of his own hatred. Sasuke thought he knew hate? He knew nothing of hatred. At least someone cared about him. Naruto's only ally was the demoness sealed inside his stomach, the demon that whispered words of comforts to him as he woodenly walked up the stairs to the rooftop.

**"I'm sorry kit."** She whispered tearfully. **"I'm so sorry."**

Naruto shook his eyed, bleary eyes blazng on the back of the man's flak jacket.

'It's not your fault.' He seethed. 'It's his.'

Everything else was a blur as the man introduced himself.

"I am Kakashi Hatake. I have no intentions of telling you my likes and dislikes. As for my dreams... I suppose I haven't really thought about that. I have few hobbies."

He gestured for them to speak. And one by one they did. Naruto utterly ignored Sasuke's 'I will make my dream a reality' bullshit and listened only sparsely when Hinata gave hers. He couldn't help but notice just how her eyes seemed to light up when she spoke of her dream, nor how her gaze seemed to drift toward him. Then it was Naruto's turn to speak and any butterfly he might've felt in his stomach were subsuquently burned away by the all encompasing fury he felt toward the man standing before them.

And when Naruto spoke, it was with a venom that silenced the entire village.

"Kakashi Hatake...

The man looked up from his orange reading material.

"Hmm?"

A muscle jumped in the blonde's jaw.

_"You are NOT my fucking teacher, you piece of shit!"_

**A/N: And let the chaos begin. As I've said many a time before, Naruto isn't going to be taking shit from anyone in this fic, unless he seriously deserves that. Meaning, he'll be less and less prone to bouts of idiocy as the stroy progresses. He's had a lot of crap come crashing down around his ears, but I'm sure Kakashi had a good reason for leaving him the orphanage...right? *Hides from fear of Naruto's wrath* Remember, pairing is up in the air, and you'll have to let me know through majority PM who you want to be in it! Obviously, Sakura is out at the moment thou I am trying really hard not to be bashing her into oblivion...**

**Now, onward to lighter affairs, to lift your spirits!.**** Today we are going to answer the age old question...why does Hinata like Naruto instead of Sasuke? Well, after thinking long and hard, AND finding some interesting articles on youtube, this is my answer to the question: ****Now, enjoy the omake and...REVIEW, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**

**Omake:**

_Sakura: Hey Hinata why do you like Naruto? Sasuke's, like, so much better, and in every way._

_Hinata: But you don't know if he's better in 'evey way' Sakura-san._

_Sakura: Oh of course he is! I can tell. In fact all girls but you seem to like Sasuke best._

_Hinata: But all girls don't have byakugan._

_Sakura: (Jaw drops then faints)_

***DIES of laughter* I just had to do it! ROTFL!**

**We'll see Jiraiya next chapter, and hopefully, as evidenced by this preview, Naruto will get a little bit of much needed light in his life:**

**Preview:**

_Naruto was still grinning to himself when the a swirl of leaves slammed into him and assumed the shape of an old man._

_"Whoa!" Naruto cried out, stumbling backward. "Watch where you're going, jiji!"_

_This 'jij' wore dull green robes over a mesh shirt that she could see glimpses of at the neck and wrists. On top of everything else he wore an oversized red vest with a yellow circle over each breast. Archaic wooden geta clacked on the floor, but his stride exhibited the steadiness that spoke of long experience wearing them._

_The white hair suggested age, but his face was for the most part unlined. One might estimate him to be in his fifties – a most dangerous age for shinobi. Without the energy of youth, some shinobi were content to slow down at that age, to take things easier. This shinobi was not one of them. His face was stern, his features set in stone. A tiny_

_"Holy shit," he murmurred. "You really do look just like him."_

_Jiraiya shook his head._

_"Well I'll be damned..._

_"Who the hell are you?"_

_"Well, to put this bluntly..._

_...I'm your godfather."_

_Naruto blinked._

_"Huh?!"_

**Look forward to it, ya know!**

**R&R! =D**


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